Archive for October 4, 2012

THE WATER HOG: This was the scene outside my window the other afternoon. A frustrated little sparrow kept waiting his turn for a sip of water, but this fat pigeon wouldn’t move out of the water dish. I have this dish set up so that the birds and squirrels always have some crucial water to drink. In the summer months I have to refill it twice a day. Most birds come for their morning and afternoon drink and socialize on my fire escape. My local squirrel (dubbed Oscar) receives an unsalted peanut every day. So we were a happy little bunch till this fat pigeon showed up the other day. He/she apparently thinks it is their personal sitz bath. This poor little sparrow kept coming back again and again, hopping around the dish to just get that one little sip while the pigeon contently contemplated life with it’s eyes closed, resting in the water dish.

Can you just imagine the conversation?:

“Ah, hey bud, you about finished in there?”

“Hey bud?!”

“You’re not going to fart in there on anything like that are you? I mean you’re just sitting there, right? No pooping either right?”

“Hey! It’s our water dish too and my other sparrow friends are gonna come in a minute and, and, and – well, we’ll come and stare at your rude self!”

“Hey, you even listening?”

“Gee! Peep, peep!”

Nothing, the pigeon just keeps it’s eyes closed till sundown when it finally stretched it’s wings, waddled over to the edge of the fire escape and flew off to his condo somewhere nearby. Another day in Sunnyside, Queens, 3rd floor.

NEW YORK NOIR: The angular shadows, the foggy side streets, footsteps in a deserted alley, the dame in distress trying to find the private dick’s office. Those great silver screen moments seem still alive in the shadowy alleys in New York at midnight. The Madison Square Park area abounds with such atmosphere that you might just expect to see Lauren Bacall following Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe to his dimly lit office while danger lurks around every corner of our wonderful narrow art deco imposing side streets.